Motivated by lust: Jail for ex-cop who illegally accessed SPF database, asked woman for sex
SINGAPORE: Curious about a case where young women had been arrested over potential drug offences, a police officer went to search their social media profiles and found one of them to be attractive.
Sean Teo then devised a plan to get in touch with her and convince her to have sex with him, and "be his woman".
Teo, 29, pretended that he could help with her case even though he was completely uninvolved.
Teo pleaded guilty to one count each under the Computer Misuse Act, Official Secrets Act and Prevention of Corruption Act for accessing a system without authority, showing the woman a picture of the crime scene without authority and for soliciting gratification from her. He was sentenced to 13 months' jail on Friday (Jun 20).
The woman in question had been part of a group that was arrested in a suite at Marina Bay Sands (MBS) hotel for suspected drug consumption on Nov 2, 2019.
She cannot be named due to a gag order.
On the same day, Teo, then a sergeant with the Singapore Police Force (SPF), was on patrol duty when he heard a radio transmission about the operation at MBS.
Later that day, a police officer who had been dispatched to the incident circulated a photo to a WhatsApp chat group which Teo was a part of. The chat group was for police officers from the Marina Bay Neighbourhood Police Centre.
The photo, which was of the crime scene, depicted a white powdery substance on a porcelain plate, an MBS access card, and a rolled up two-dollar note.
Teo saved the photo on his mobile phone. At the same time, he heard a radio transmission that several young women had been arrested.
Curious to know more, Teo accessed SPF's command and control system, known as CUBICON II, to look at the incident report.
Teo then recorded the names and contact numbers of the women who had been arrested and saved them on his mobile phone.
Teo was not involved in the incident and had no authority to do what he did.
Later, Teo searched for the social media profiles of the women who had been arrested as he wanted to see how they looked like. He found one of them attractive and wanted to get to know her.
His initial effort to contact her on a chat application was in vain. Undeterred, Teo conducted a search on Telegram chat application and managed to find the woman's account.
He added her contact, using a Telegram account with a fake name in a bid to conceal his identity.
On Dec 7, 2019, Teo contacted the woman, an insurance agent, on Telegram and managed convince her to meet him under the pretence that he was interested in buying insurance from her.
He met her for dinner the next day and introduced himself as "James". During the dinner, he revealed that he knew she had been arrested over the incident at MBS.
Subsequently, the two continued to discuss her arrest and its likely outcomes. Teo told the woman he could help her by using his connections with senior officers at the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB).
When the woman expressed doubt about his ability to help, Teo showed her the crime scene photograph, which was enough to convince her.
"(Teo) told (the woman) that he had friends in CNB, and that he was aware of cases where subjects with connections in CNB could have their urine test results fabricated," court documents stated.
"To do this, male subjects had to pay money, while female subjects could either pay money or sleep with the IO (investigation officer). None of this was true. The accused was not personally aware of any instance where CNB investigations had been resolved in this way."
ASKED FOR SEX
Teo then said he could help the woman if she was willing to sleep with him. She replied that she would think about it.
After this meeting, the pair continued to exchange messages, during which Teo would remind the woman that he could help her, and kept trying to solicit a sexual and romantic relationship with her.
"The accused repeatedly asked (the woman) to 'be his woman' and told (her) that she could sleep with him instead of sleeping with the CNB IO.
"On one occasion, the accused tried to convince (the woman) to meet him on the false pretext that he had confidential information from the CNB IO that was not safe to tell her over Telegram messages, and he had to tell her in person," the prosecution said.
To conceal his deeds, Teo told the woman not to tell anyone about their conversations and also deleted his chats with her.
After his offences came to light, Teo told investigators that he was motivated by lust.
Deputy Public Prosecutors David Menon and Jonathan Tan sought a jail term of between 15 and 18 months for Teo, against the defence's proposed jail term of 12 months. Teo was represented by lawyer Kalidass Murugaiyan.
The prosecution said the offence was clearly premeditated and Teo had actively solicited corrupt gratification for himself.
"By abusing his position as a police officer, the accused has caused reputational harm to SPF. But the accused compounded this harm when he told (the woman) that he knew senior officers at CNB who could be bribed.
"The accused also claimed that urine test results could be fabricated if the right 'connections' were made. This was a baseless claim that had the potential to harm CNB's reputational integrity," the Mr Menon and Mr Tan said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
2 hours ago
- CNA
Dog breeder at Sungei Tengah fined S$4,000 for various lapses
SINGAPORE: A dog breeder in Sungei Tengah was fined S$4,000 (US$3,100) on Friday (Jun 20) for regulatory breaches of terms and conditions for breeding dogs. Among these lapses, Lismore Pet Enterprise was convicted of failing to sterilise breeding dogs within six months of their retirement from breeding. Lismore Pet Enterprise is located at The Animal Lodge and was bound by regulations relating to breeding dogs as a licensed pet farm, the National Parks Board (NParks) said in court. Officers from the Animal and Veterinary Services (AVS) found the contraventions when they inspected the company's premises at several units in two blocks on Nov 1, 2023. During the inspection, AVS officers found kennels with multiple gaps and holes in the flooring that could trap feet or paws. Two kennels where three and five dogs were housed had multiple such gaps. This breached a condition that required flooring for dogs to be firm and safe. In relation to the sterilisation of retired breeding dogs, in one instance, officers found a female Japanese spitz that was not sterilised despite being eight years and 11 months old. Lismore failed to sterilise the dog within six months after its retirement at the age of six. Apart from these lapses, the company failed to keep a register for the movement of dogs in its care. It did not have such a system, NParks said. Regulations require a licensee to maintain a register to record the movement of dogs to other premises such as homes, farms, pet shops and salons. In total, Lismore pleaded guilty to four charges, while another 22 charges of a similar nature were considered for sentencing. NParks sought a fine of S$6,000. Lismore's lawyer Victor David Lau said that his client's business had been one of the largest pet farms in Singapore for decades, having been in business for a long time. He added that Lismore has a clean record with no instances of animal cruelty. Since then, Lismore has taken steps to rectify its lapses, said Mr Lau. The company has had genuine reasons for failing to comply with some regulations, said Mr Lau, adding that Lismore's usual supplier of flooring was no longer in business, resulting in a delay in procuring replacements.
CNA
3 hours ago
- CNA
FAQ: Hit an animal while driving on Singapore roads? Here's what you should do
SINGAPORE: A recent spate of community cat deaths sparked public outcry, but the National Parks Board (NParks) said in early June that there is no evidence to suggest these cases involved deliberate acts of animal cruelty. The two community cat deaths in Yishun and Punggol were instead likely caused by vehicle accidents, NParks concluded, while another cat found dead at a void deck in Tampines was the result of a traffic incident. CNA gives the lowdown on what you should do if you happen to hit an animal while driving and your obligations. Can you continue driving? According to the Road Traffic Act, motorists must stop if their vehicles caused injury or death to any animal as long as they can "reasonably tell" that the animal has an owner or that the animal's presence on the road is "likely to pose any safety hazard" to other road users. All animal species are covered under the Act. In response to CNA's queries, NParks advised motorists to drive with caution in residential and forested areas, and to drive within speed limits or reduce their speed. They should also be alert to the crossing of animals when driving in such areas and along roads flanked by forested areas, especially where there are signs to indicate animal crossings, it added. What should you do upon colliding with an animal? Traffic police (TP) told CNA that motorists who have hit an animal while driving should stop their vehicle in a safe location and turn on the hazard lights to alert other drivers. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) said that the relevant authorities should be contacted, depending on the animal's well-being. They are: Motorists who are unsure if the animal is dead or alive can take a video and forward it to ACRES, said a spokesperson, adding that they should avoid touching or handling the animal, and to wait for ACRES' advice. If the animal is dead, the National Environment Agency (NEA) should be contacted at 1800 2255 632 for removal of the carcass. An NEA spokesperson said that the agency is responsible for clearing animal carcasses in public areas, excluding estates maintained by town councils, in the interest of public health. If the accident has caused obstruction to traffic or if the presence of the animal on the road is likely to endanger road users, the police must be immediately informed and reasonable steps have to be taken to alert others of the obstruction. What if the accident is serious? According to SPCA, if the accident has led to death or serious injury to a human, or resulted in serious damage to a vehicle or structure, the vehicles involved and any evidence must not be moved unless directed by the police. The only exceptions are if it is needed to rescue the people or animals involved, or to prevent further hazards. In such cases, the vehicle or its parts may be moved only as far as it is needed. "The motorist should capture potential evidence by taking clear photos and videos with timestamps, and by documenting the exact address of the location," said Ms Aarthi Sankar, executive director of the SPCA. How common are road accidents involving animals? Ms Sankar said that in 2024, SPCA investigated 15 hit-and-run cases involving animals. However, she noted that that figure is "only a subset" of the cases, as some are reported to other animal welfare organisations, while others go unreported or unnoticed. SPCA added it could not provide data on other years. In 2024, at least two sambar deer died on the roads, while wildlife groups have also noticed an 'exponential increase' in reported roadkill of the critically endangered Sunda pangolins in recent years. Mandai Wildlife Group's animal hospital, for instance, saw more than 40 pangolins killed or injured on average in a year between 2021 and 2023, up from around 20 annually between 2015 and 2020. A spokesperson for NEA said that over the past three years, it has received an average of 1,700 public feedback annually on dead animals and birds sighted. Members of the public are advised to report any sightings of animal carcasses via the myENV or OneService app. How can you tell if the animal is a road hazard? There is no specific size criterion to determine if an animal constitutes a road hazard, said TP. "Motorists should consider factors, such as traffic volume, the position of the animal on the road, and the road speed limit. If the animal obstructs any part of the road or may force other road users to make evasive manoeuvres or sudden braking, the animal should be moved but only if it is safe to do so." Should you move the animal if it is obstructing traffic? If the injured animal or carcass is in a position where it poses a safety hazard to other road users, motorists may move it to a safe location if it is safe to do so, said TP. Otherwise, motorists may call the police for assistance. However, you should not try to touch or handle certain animals, according to ACRES. "Animals like wild pigs, otters and sambar deers who are injured can be defensive and scared and we suggest for (the) public not to handle them," it said, adding that motorists can contact the society or NParks for assistance and advice. What if the animal appears to be a pet? In cases where the animal is likely to be a pet, motorists must take reasonable steps to inform its owner of the accident, said NParks. The agency added that drivers should take note of whether the animal has any collars, tags or other identifying features, and if possible, capture clear photographs. The information should then be sent to NParks, so that the agency can help reunite the animal with its owner or caregiver. Those driving should also take note of the location of the accident, said ACRES, adding that they can also post on Facebook pages which are focused on lost and found pets.
Straits Times
4 hours ago
- Straits Times
Jail for cop who told woman that he could help with her CNB case if she had sex with him
Sean Teo arriving at the State Courts on April 15. He was sentenced to 13 months' jail over three charges on June 20. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG Jail for cop who told woman that he could help with her CNB case if she had sex with him SINGAPORE – A police sergeant heard that a group of people – five women and three men – were arrested i n a drug case in late 2019 , and he wanted to learn more about the women. Sean Teo then accessed a police computer platform even though he was not involved in the case, saved the women's particulars on his mobile phone and went through their social media profiles. Assuming a false identity, he met one woman he found attractive and told her in December 2019 that he would help her with the case if she had sex with him. But the insurance agent rejected his advances. On June 20, Teo, 29, was sentenced to 13 months' jail over three charges. He had pleaded guilty to one count each of misusing a computer system, soliciting sexual gratification from the woman and an offence under the Official Secrets Act. Court documents do not disclose the outcome of the woman's case, and the police said in an earlier statement that Teo has been suspended from service since January 2020. Deputy public prosecutors David Menon and Jonathan Tan stated in the documents that the woman and seven others were arrested in a suite at Marina Bay Sands (MBS) hotel on Nov 2, 2019. Teo was conducting patrol duties that day when he heard a radio transmission about the case. He was not dispatched to the scene, but one of his colleagues later shared a picture on a WhatsApp chat group of police officers, including Teo. Taken at the suite, the photo showed a white powdery substance on a plate, an MBS access card and a rolled up $2 note. Teo saved the photograph on his mobile phone, went on a police computer system and unlawfully accessed an incident report about the case to find out more about the five women. The prosecutors said: 'The accused recorded (their) names and contact numbers... and saved them on his personal mobile accused searched for (their) social media profiles... as he wanted to see what they looked like.' Teo found the insurance agent's public Instagram profile and decided to reach out to her. He then used a Telegram account that was not linked to his mobile phone number and added her on the messaging platform. He did this in an attempt to conceal his identity and avoid being implicated in any offences, said the prosecutors . Teo contacted the woman via Telegram on Dec 7, 2019, claiming to be interested in buying insurance. He introduced himself as 'James' when they met the next day and told the woman that he knew about the MBS incident. He also claimed that he could help with her case by 'leveraging his connections' with senior officers at the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB). When the woman expressed her doubts, he showed her the picture taken at the MBS suite. Teo was not authorised to show it to her, and he had committed an offence under the Official Secrets Act by doing so. After seeing the photo , the woman became convinced that Teo could help her. The prosecutors said: 'The accused told (the woman) that he had friends in CNB, and that he was aware of cases where subjects with connections in CNB could have their urine test results fabricated. '(Teo claimed that) to do this, male subjects had to pay money, while female subjects could either pay money or sleep with the IO (investigation officer). None of this was true. The accused was not personally aware of any instance where CNB investigations had been resolved in this way.' Teo then told the woman that he was willing to help her with the case if she had sex with him. The woman replied that she would ponder over the proposal and the pair parted ways. After the meeting, Teo continued exchanging messages with her via Telegram. In these messages, he alternated between reminding the woman that he could help with her case, and soliciting a sexual and romantic relationship from her. Teo also repeatedly asked her to 'be his woman', saying that she 'could sleep with him instead of sleeping with the CNB IO'. To cover his tracks, he told the woman not to tell anyone about their exchanges, and he deleted his chat logs with her. Court documents do not disclose how his offences came to light, but he later admitted to the authorities that he had been motivated by lust. Teo's bail was set at $15,000 on June 20, and he is expected to begin serving his sentence on July 7. Shaffiq Alkhatib is The Straits Times' court correspondent, covering mainly criminal cases heard at the State Courts. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
